Top reasons to study in India

Top reasons to study in India - India, being the land of diverse cultures, a birthplace of some of the world’s greatest religions and history offers a wide range of options for international students. The thought of studying in at one of the most exciting countries in the world can seem intimidating at first but often opens up new perspective and experience for it will offer students a new perspective and a whole new experience. While living in India can be a challenging affair for foreign students, it is often a rewarding and an affordable experience. The country is well known for its vibrant traditions, packed cities and enormously growing economy.

The real question is 'why not study in India', while the country has so much to offer. No wonder India enjoys the 24th rank in the QS Higher Education System Strength Rankings, thanks to the top universities in India including IIT's, IISC's and AIIMS among others. The country boasts one of the largest education systems with top ranking universities to its rescue, which apparently is one of the top reasons to study in India.

In this article, international students seeking a new study abroad destination can go through the top 8 reasons to study in India.

Listed below are some of the Top Reasons to Study in India:

Why study in India?

1. Top Ranking Universities

The country has much more to offer students apart from dazzling cultures to natural beauty to diverse history. India being the second largest populous country in the world has undergone expeditious expansion in diverse fields, education being one of them. International students have thousands of universities and colleges to choose from. In fact, the ranking list has a majority of the Indian Institute of Technology and All India Institute of Medical Sciences for students to take admission in. Studying abroad in a top ranking university is definitely one of the top reasons to study in India.

Below you will find the top universities in India and their world ranking:

Studying abroad in a completely different country becomes a major concern for international students and the cost of living in a foreign country can seem daunting to many at first. In a country like India, cost of living is the last thing to worry about. The cost of education in India is way lower compared to giant education hubs such as the US, UK and Australia.

According to HSBC report, an average annual tuition fee in India is mere $580, while an average fee in Australia is over $24,000, $24,500 in the U.S and $20,000 in the UK. So, annual tuition fee in India is not a major obstacle for international students as compared to the western countries. Thus, one of the top reasons to study in India and a preferable choice for foreign students.

3. Student friendly cities:

Finding a perfect student friendly city in a foreign country is another one of the top reasons to study in India. If students decide to take the leap and study abroad in India, they are likely to study in one of the flourished cities in the country. India is home to over 400 cities spread across the nation, a proof of establishment of the enormous country. Each city has its unique traditions, cultures and values to take back home. Yet, there are few cities that shine among the rest as lucrative study abroad destinations.

Mumbai (previously Bombay) leads the top student cities list, closely followed by Delhi, Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad to name a few. While Mumbai boasts of universities/institutes like IIT Bombay, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Delhi shows off a number of top ranking universities academic centres including, IIT Delhi, Delhi University, Jawahar Llal Nehru University and AIIMS among others.

4. Scholarships

Given the cost of education in India, universities in India also offer its international students with financial assistance in form of scholarships. The government of India offers a wide range of scholarships to international students who want to pursue higher studies in the country.

General Cultural Scholarship Scheme is one such scholarship which is annually awarded to foreign students hailing from certain African, Asian, and Latin American countries to pursue undergraduate, postgraduate and research oriented programme. Some other popular scholarships for international students: Commonwealth Fellowship Plan, Reciprocal Scholarships Scheme, Cultural Exchange Programme and Indian Council for for Cultural Relations among others.

5. Popular programmes

There could be several reasons for foreign students to choose India as their next study abroad destination. Apart from top universities and vibrant culture, international students can experience the vast Indian education system spread across an array of courses. The country boasts of several top world ranking universities however, it is the vast choice of programmes offered in the country that makes it one of the top reasons to study in India for international students.

The top courses to study in India are spread across various fields including Engineering, Management, Medicine and Arts to name a few. In India, there are several programmes like Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech), Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com), MBBS and Bachelor of Pharmacy that attract a majority of international crowd. For instance, B.Tech attracts more than 2800 international students, while B.Com has a strength of over 2500 students.

6. Melting pot of diverse cultures

Visiting and living in a place is completely different, especially when the country is India. In fact, India has 22 official languages such as Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi and Gujrati among others. International students are likely to come across students who hail from other cities in India and have diverse mother tongues. The diversity in India may overwhelm international students, as foreign students are never going to be alone. There will always be someone around, be it classmates, hostel mates or just a random stranger. One of the top reasons to study in India- students are never going to be lonely, meaning lesser home sickness.

7. Campus life

Studying in India, for any foreign student can be an intimidating prospect, because it isn’t just a land of numerous languages, but also of people from different backgrounds and traditions. International students initially go through cultural shock, thankfully with time they are able to wade through anything that comes across. The best part of campus life in India is the majority of universities in the country are residential in nature, which means foreign students get to reside on a secure and close knit environment. Campus life in India is one of the top reasons to study in India, where international students receive ample opportunities to interact and socialize in extracurricular activities.

8. Work Opportunities

While the country offers an array of programmes spread across various fields, many international students come seeking work opportunities in India- both during and after programme. The Indian government does not allow foreign students to work during their study period. However, international students are allowed to take up training and internships. Even though, India bounds international students from exploring work opportunities during their studies, it generally does not exempt them from working in the country post programme. However, students cannot extent their stay in India and work on their student visa. The Indian student visa does not carry any work related right. Nevertheless, international students can work in the country under the employment visa scheme.

To be eligible to work after study in India is solely dependent on immigration office and a job offer from a registered company. Employment Visa allows international students to work in India for a particular period after which the visa can be extended.